Sandwick is on the east coast of the south mainland of Shetland, approximately mid-way between Sumburgh (airport) to the south, and the capital, Lerwick, where the ferries arrive, to the north.

Beach House is a traditional house built around or before 1900 of local stone, and updated over time. It has two double bedrooms upstairs (with a small middle room between, currently used for storage). There is a third bedroom downstairs which could be available as twin bedded accommodation if required. The bathroom is in the middle downstairs and has a bath, washbasin and toilet: there is no shower. The living room is downstairs, nearest the beach. The eat-in kitchen is a modern extension on the back, behind the living room. Both the living room and kitchen have uninterrupted views south to Hoswick bay. There is garden to the front (east) and back (west) and access from the front garden gate to a path to the beach, which is approximately 50 meters away.

The heating is electric storage and/or convection radiators. Additionally, there is an open fire in the living room which can be used with coal or peat. Cooking and water heating is electric. The kitchen has a washing machine and fridge. If required, there is a small chest freezer in the shed. Fresh bedding and towels will be provided

Hoswick beach is mostly white quartz pebbles at the top, changing to sand down into the bay.

The Hos’ick burn enters the east side of the beach, while at the west there is a small pier and place for beaching boats (a nowst or noost).

Hoswick was involved in the past with fishing and weaving, but neither take place now commercially. There is a visitor centre with tearoom in the former weaving sheds. The L.J.Smith knitwear company is still active and has premises and a knitwear shop in the village. There is a hotel (The Barclay Arms) at the top of the village, up the hill, with bars and food available. There is also a Social/Community club in Sandwick with bars, food and frequent functions/entertainment's. Non members may require to be signed in.

The nearest shop is around 2/3 mile away at Stove, and is a bakery with village shop and post office.

Some local bus services call at Hoswick, while others can be caught nearby at Stove by walking up out of the valley. However, use of a car is highly recommended to take full advantage of what is around to visit, and for shopping in Lerwick where there are supermarkets. If visitors do not bring their own cars on the ferry, they should pre-book car hire before arriving to avoid disappointment. Car rental is available at the airport and in Lerwick. There are taxi services available in Sandwick.

There are a number of fine coastline and hill walks in Sandwick, and it is particularly recommended that a visit to the island of Mousa, off the east of Sandwick, should be made. Mousa has the best preserved example of a pictish broch anywhere, and there is a seal colony on the east of the island in a shell-sand "lagoon" where the seals can be approached closely. The Mousa boat trips are run by arrangement with Tom Jamieson (telephone 01950 431 367) and leave from Leebotten on the east of the parish.

A number of broch ruins exist in many locations in Shetland (part of a beacon system?) – and there is an example of a ruined broch at the deserted (clearance) village of Burraland, opposite Mousa, which can be taken in on a walk from Sandlodge, by Leebotten.

There are fine cliffs and many seabird colonies at Noness, where seals are common and otters can frequently be seen.

Most locals are keen sea anglers, and most keep boats for that. While there are many traditional boats launched from Leebotten and some at Hoswick, most modern boats are moored in the sheltered water of the voe at Cunningsburgh, the district to the north of Sandwick. While there is no sea-angling tours or rental locally, it is worth inquiring whether any locals may be willing to take visitors along when they are going sea fishing.

Sea trout run off the mouth of the Hoswick burn, and it is worth trying at the mouth of the larger Channerwick burn over the hill to the south of Hoswick. The Channerwick burn is also good for small brown trout caught on worm.

There is a good sea trout run at the small beach at Spiggie, about 7 miles south of Sandwick on the west of the mainland, and the lochs nearby are fished for brown trout (permits required).

For details of trout fishing in Shetland contact Alec Miller, secretary of Shetland Anglers Association, on 01595 695903. The Association have clubrooms in Lerwick, open on Tuesday and Friday evenings, where members are happy to advise visitors (there is a bar). Check it out on www.troutfishing.shetland.co.uk on the internet.

Back to archaeology, a visit to Jarlshof at Sumburgh is highly recommended to see well preserved stone to bronze to iron to Viking to medieval settlement excavations all on one site. Excavations of more settlements continue nearby most summers.

There are a number of boat tours operating out of Lerwick and Scalloway, and many land-based guided tours.

There are museums and galleries in Lerwick and throughout Shetland.

It is strongly advised that you use the internet to find information on events and places of interest in Shetland. The sites run by the Shetland Times newspaper are useful, such as:
http://www.shetlandtoday.co.uk/
http://www.shetlandtoday.co.uk/visitor/index.asp
http://www.shetlandtoday.co.uk/links.htm

Also, the Shetland Tourism site will have much useful information at: http://www.visitshetland.com/

Further information on Beach House or Shetland in general can be obtained from
Robin Barclay (in Midlothian) on tel: 0131 663 1138 (e-mail: [email protected])
or Janet Barclay (in Sandwick, Shetland) on tel: 01950 431 590.

The house is a family house. The owner (our mother) is in care and we maintain and use the house, especially for visits "home" by those of us now living off Shetland. The house is in good decorative order – most of it is newly decorated – and well equipped. We hope that you will take advantage of its superb location and make yourself at home during your short visit.

We envisage that the charges will be £250 per week from mid-June to mid-September, and £200 per week at other times. Moderate use of electricity and telephone will be included in that charge, but excessive use will be surcharged.